Think on these things.

Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever is true, 

whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, 

whatever is pure,

 whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise . . .  Psalm 100:4

The following is an excerpt from my online Prairie Song summer class from summer 2012:

Gratitude.  Thankfulness.  Seeing the goodness.  Finding the beauty in everyday life. 

It makes a difference.

It is to enter a sacred place.  
A holy, priceless state of being.  
Psalm 100:4 says to enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise.  
To have thanksgiving and praise takes us into the very presence of God.

This morning I walked for over an hour with my camera falling in absolute decadent love with purple coneflowers, dew drops, the sound of my feet on wet gravel after a rain, fence lines, birds singing, my daughter riding her bike through a rain puddle, and my beagle soaked in grass dew.  My heart swelled with gratitude, with thankfulness for this very place in which I live.  I wondered if the first ten years of my marriage and living on the prairie, if all of it was there then.  Did the coneflowers bloom every summer?  Were the dewdrops scattered like tiny diamonds in the morning sunlight?  Did the birds sing so sweetly?  Because I don't remember any of that from 1996 - 2006.  It does not stand out in my mind.  But certainly they were there.  But my eyes were not open...

I noticed, as I walked, as I photographed, how fulfilled I felt.  

How satisfied.  

Really?  I could be so happy with such a simple thing?  

Yes.  I could.  

It felt sacred, 

holy.  

It felt . . . with God.  

And also giddy, delighted, indulgent.

Over a year later,

walking in the cool of the day

with my camera

helps me live

Philippians 4:8

in the fall.

Think on these things.

That is what focus and seeking light and beauty helps me to do.

This is what photography is to me.

No matter the season.